News
Veteran’s Day Crash Claims Sparta Woman
November 12, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
A Sparta woman lost her life in a two-vehicle crash Monday afternoon on Highway 70 east in the Hillcrest area.
Dead is 57-year-old Rhonda Wilson.
According to Trooper Chris Delong of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Wilson was traveling east in a 2005 silver Buick LeSabre as 32-year-old Jason Ervin of Smithville was heading west in a 2013 red Toyota Tacoma.
Ervin’s vehicle came across the double yellow line into the eastbound lane and struck Wilson’s car. Ervin told Trooper Delong that he had fallen asleep. Wilson tried unsuccessfully to avoid the collision. Upon impact Wilson’s car went off the right side of the road onto the grass and came to rest facing north. Ervin’s truck overturned on the passenger side in the eastbound lane. Wilson died at the scene. Ervin was apparently uninjured. Both were wearing their seatbelts.
Members of the DeKalb Fire Department Rescue Team used extrication tools to better access the body for removal from the wreckage.
Trooper Delong said Ervin was cited for failing to maintain lane of travel and for no insurance. DeKalb EMS and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department were also on the scene along with other THP officers.
Meanwhile, a woman’s hand was reportedly severed in a separate crash late Saturday night on Highway 146 near Tabernacle Road.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that 29-year-old Laura P. Palomo Morales was traveling North on Short Mountain Highway in a 2016 Jeep Cherokee when the vehicle went off the right side of the roadway and then came back onto the highway. The Jeep then traveled off the left side of the roadway and struck a tree head-on where it came to a final rest in a yard.
Remembering Those who Served: Veterans Day
November 11, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
Members of a grateful community gathered Monday morning at the county complex to pay tribute to the extraordinary individuals who have worn the uniform of our nation’s armed forces.
Veterans’ Day is more than a date on the calendar—it’s a solemn promise to remember.
The observance was coordinated by the American Legion Post #122 and began with patriotic music by Susan Hinton on the keyboard and performances by the DCHS Chorus under the direction of Josh Gulley and the DCHS Band directed by Max Patterson with the presentation of colors and a prayer by local minister Larry Green. A music video of the song “Unsung Heroes” by Dailey and Vincent was also shown.
Danny Pan, 4th District Commander and member of the American Legion Upper Cumberland Post#135 was the featured speaker. Pan spoke of his military background and then gave a history of Veteran’s Day with the support of the American Legion.
“World War I was so horrific that many referred to it as the war to end all wars. Unfortunately, that optimism was short lived. A generation later the second world war would follow which was even deadlier than the first. Even so the American Legion never wavered on the significance of the 1918 armistice. The nation’s largest veterans’ organization had been advocating for Armistice Day to be observed since 1920”, said Pan
“In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War the American Legion led an all-Veterans Day celebration which was seen as the spark that led the movement for November 11 to be a date to honor every American since the Revolutionary War. The advocacy paid off. On October 8, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a proclamation officially changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day,” Pan continued.
“The love for this country is a common thread and bonds veterans from the earliest day of our nation’s founding to those serving today. All Americans should remember those who have made our freedom possible. It is up to us to ensure that every veteran believes that his or her service in this country is respected by their fellow Americans. The easiest and simplest way is to say thank you for your service to our country”
“Winston Churchill spoke at the Royal Air Force when he delivered the famous line “never so much owed by so many to so few”. The same could be said of American veterans in 2024. In 1980 about 18% of US adults were veterans. Today it is approximately 5%. Active-duty service members comprise less than one half of one percent of the US population. All Americans benefit from this small and distinguished group of volunteers who currently comprise the US Armed Forces. On this Veterans Day we honor not an Armistice but the men and women who have served and continue to serve in the greatest military the world has ever known. Our message to American veterans past and present is simple. We will never forget you,” said Pan.
Pan served in the Navy from 1987 to 1992 and was deployed to Panama during Operation Just Cause and Desert Shield/Storm. After being discharged from the Navy, Pan benefited from the GI Bill and received a degree in Criminal Justice Administration from San Diego State University. Upon graduation, Pan embarked on a 24-year career in law enforcement where he served in a variety of positions including the Gang Unit, Violent Crime Unit, Anti-Terrorism, Rapid Response Team, among other assignments. He retired in 2018.
Ronnie Redmon, Adjutant of the American Legion Post #122 presided over the program and welcomed the guests while Judy Redmon of the Ladies Auxiliary introduced Pan, the guest speaker.
Melissa Crouch of Gentiva Hospice paid tribute to veterans in attendance and issued pins to them which were presented by members of the DCHS band and Chorus. Crouch also honored Gold Star Mothers.
After the program veterans boarded a school bus which was escorted from the county complex to the courthouse by local law enforcement and fire departments. At the site of the veteran’s memorial monument on the south side of the courthouse, local veterans and others placed a wreath in tribute. A luncheon followed back at the county complex for veterans, their spouses, and program participants.
Statewide muzzleloader/archery season for deer now open
November 11, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
The 2024 statewide muzzleloader/archery season for deer opened in Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 9 and continues through Friday, Nov. 22 in all six of Tennessee’s deer hunting units. Muzzleloader season traditionally opens the third Saturday before Thanksgiving.
The statewide bag limit for antlered bucks is two. In Units 1, 2, and 3 there is an antlerless bag limit of three per day, and a limit of two antlerless for this season in Units 4, 5, and 6. The bag limit may only be exceeded as part of the Earn-A-Buck program or as replacement buck in a CWD positive county.
During season setting, new hunting units were implemented for this season. Hunters should refer to the 2024-25 Tennessee Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Guide for specific information about their hunting unit.
Tennessee’s statewide gun season for deer opens the Saturday before Thanksgiving, which falls on Nov. 23. The season for gun/muzzleloader/archery will run through Jan. 5, 2025. Archery equipment is legal during muzzleloader and gun seasons. Muzzleloaders are legal during gun season.
